Steering control device and method

Abstract

The present embodiments relate to a steering control device and method. Specifically, there may be provided a steering control device and method in which an RWA control module may perform control to detect whether a data signal is transmitted/received through a communication module, outputs an operation state for a communication channel of the communication module, and select and use a communication channel capable of data signal transmission/reception to thereby increase reliability and may perform control so that, when any one communication channel fails, data signal transmission/reception is possible through another communication channel.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A steering control device, comprising:
 a road wheel actuator (RWA) control module including a first actuator controller receiving a control signal from a first steering controller to control an operation of a steering motor and a second actuator controller receiving a control signal from a second steering controller to control the operation of the steering motor; and 
 a communication module including a first external communication channel connecting the first actuator controller and the first steering controller to each other and connected to a vehicle and a second external communication channel connecting the second actuator controller and the second steering controller to each other and connected to the vehicle, 
 wherein the RWA control module detects whether a data signal is transmitted/received through the communication module, outputs an operation state for the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel of the communication module, and selects and uses a communication channel capable of data signal transmission/reception. 
 
     
     
       2. The steering control device of  claim 1 , wherein the RWA control module is configured to,
 detect whether the data signal is transmitted/received based on a data signal transmitted/received through the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel, 
 if it is detected that the data signal is not transmitted/received through the first external communication channel, determine that the first external communication channel fails, 
 output a warning signal for the operation state of the first external communication channel, and select and use the second external communication channel as a communication channel. 
 
     
     
       3. The steering control device of  claim 2 , wherein the first actuator controller of the RWA control module transmits, to the first steering controller, an acknowledgment (ACK) signal and a performance state information signal according to a first control signal received from the first steering controller through the first external communication channel, detects whether a second control signal and a reception ACK signal for the ACK signal are received from the first steering controller, if it is detected that the data signal is not transmitted/received, determines that the first external communication channel fails. 
     
     
       4. The steering control device of  claim 1 , wherein the RWA control module is configured to,
 detect whether the data signal is transmitted/received based on a data signal transmitted/received through the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel, 
 if it is detected that the data signal is not transmitted/received through the second external communication channel, determine that the second external communication channel fails, 
 output a warning signal for the operation state of the second external communication channel, and select and use the first external communication channel as a communication channel. 
 
     
     
       5. The steering control device of  claim 4 , wherein the second actuator controller of the RWA control module transmits, to the second steering controller, an acknowledgment (ACK) signal and a performance state information signal according to a first control signal received from the second steering controller through the second external communication channel, detects whether a second control signal and a reception ACK signal for the ACK signal are received from the second steering controller, if it is detected that the data signal is not transmitted/received, determines that the second external communication channel fails. 
     
     
       6. The steering control device of  claim 1 , wherein the RWA control module is configured to,
 detect whether the data signal is transmitted/received based on a data signal transmitted received through the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel, 
 if it is detected that the data signal is not transmitted/received through the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel, determine that the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel fail, and 
 output a failure signal for the operation state of the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel. 
 
     
     
       7. The steering control device of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module further includes an first internal communication channel connecting the first steering controller and the second steering controller to each other, and
 wherein the first steering controller and the second steering controller exchange information through the first internal communication channel, compare data signals transmitted/received through the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel and, if the transmitted/received data signals differ from each other, output a warning signal or a failure signal for the operation state of the first external communication channel or the second external communication channel. 
 
     
     
       8. The steering control device of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module further includes a second internal communication channel connecting the first actuator controller and the second actuator controller to each other, and
 wherein the first actuator controller and the second actuator controller exchange information through the second internal communication channel, compare data signals transmitted/received through the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel and, if the transmitted/received data signals differ from each other, output a warning signal or a failure signal for the operation state of the first external communication channel or the second external communication channel. 
 
     
     
       9. The steering control device of  claim 1 , wherein when a control priority of the first actuator controller is higher than a control priority of the second actuator controller, the first actuator controller transfers a control right for the steering motor to the second actuator controller if detecting a failure in the first external communication channel, and if the control right is transferred, the second actuator controller controls the steering motor. 
     
     
       10. The steering control device of  claim 9 , wherein when a control priority of the first actuator controller is lower than a control priority of the second actuator controller, the second actuator controller transfers the control right for the steering motor to the first actuator controller if detecting a failure in the second external communication channel, and if the control right is transferred, the first a actuator controller controls the steering motor. 
     
     
       11. The steering control device of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module includes a gateway for transmitting/receiving a data signal of the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel. 
     
     
       12. A steering control method, comprising:
 a communication channel analysis step of detecting whether a data signal is transmitted/received based on a data signal transmitted/received through a communication module, by an RWA control module; 
 a communication channel determination step of determining a communication channel of the communication module as any one state among normal, warning, and fail, according to a result of the detection, by the RWA control module; 
 a communication channel state output step of outputting a signal for an operation state of any one of normal, warning, and fail, according to a result of determining the communication channel of the communication module, by the RWA control module; and 
 a communication channel selection step of selecting and using a communication channel capable of data signal transmission/reception, by the RWA control module. 
 
     
     
       13. The steering control method of  claim 12 , wherein in the communication channel analysis step, the RWA control module detects whether the data signal is transmitted/received based on a data signal transmitted/received through the first external communication channel and a second external communication channel,
 wherein in the communication channel determination step, if it is detected that the data signal is not transmitted/received through the first external communication channel, the RWA control module determines that the first external communication channel fails, 
 wherein in the communication channel state output step, the RWA control module outputs a warning signal for the operation state of the first external communication channel if it is determined that the first external communication channel fails, and 
 wherein in the communication channel selection step, the RWA control module selects and uses the second external communication channel as a communication channel if it is determined that the first external communication channel fails. 
 
     
     
       14. The steering control method of  claim 13 , wherein in the communication channel analysis step, a first actuator controller of the RWA control module transmits, to the first steering controller, an ACK signal and a performance state information signal according to a first control signal received from the first steering controller through the first external communication channel and detects whether a second control signal and a reception ACK signal for the ACK signal are received from the first steering controller. 
     
     
       15. The steering control method of  claim 12 , wherein in the communication channel analysis step, the RWA control module detects whether the data signal is transmitted/received based on a data signal transmitted/received through the first external communication channel and a second external communication channel,
 wherein in the communication channel determination step, if it is detected that the data signal is not transmitted/received through the second external communication channel, the RWA control module determines that the second external communication channel fails, 
 wherein in the communication channel state output step, the RWA control module outputs a warning signal for the operation state of the second external communication channel if it is determined that the second external communication channel fails, and 
 wherein in the communication channel selection step, the RWA control module selects and uses the first external communication channel as a communication channel if it is determined that the second external communication channel fails. 
 
     
     
       16. The steering control method of  claim 15 , wherein in the communication channel analysis step, a second actuator controller of the RWA control module transmits, to the second steering controller, an ACK signal and a performance state information signal according to a first control signal received from the second steering controller through the second external communication channel and detects whether a second control signal and a reception ACK signal for the ACK signal are received from the second steering controller. 
     
     
       17. The steering control method of  claim 12 , wherein in the communication channel analysis step, the RWA control module detects whether the data signal is transmitted/received based on a data signal transmitted/received through the first external communication channel and a second external communication channel,
 wherein in the communication channel determination step, if it is detected that the data signal is not transmitted/received through the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel, the RWA control module determines that the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel fail, and 
 wherein in the communication channel state output step, the RWA control module outputs a failure signal for the operation state of the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel. 
 
     
     
       18. The steering control method of  claim 12 , wherein in the communication channel state output step, a actuator first controller of the RWA control module and a second actuator controller of the RWA control module exchange information through a second internal communication channel and compare data signals transmitted/received through the first external communication channel and the second external communication channel of the communication module and, if the transmitted/received data signals differ from each other, output a warning signal or a failure signal for the operation state of the first external communication channel or the second external communication channel. 
     
     
       19. The steering control method of  claim 18 , wherein when a control priority of the first actuator controller is higher than a control priority of the second actuator controller, the first actuator controller transfers a control right for a steering motor to the second actuator controller if detecting a failure in the first external communication channel, and if the control right is transferred, the second actuator controller controls the steering motor. 
     
     
       20. The steering control method of  claim 19 , wherein when a control priority of the first actuator controller is lower than a control priority of the second actuator controller, the second actuator controller transfers the control right for the steering motor to the first actuator controller if detecting a failure in the second external communication channel, and if the control right is transferred, the first actuator controller controls the steering motor.